“Nobody asked us to take it off the shelves. But we bought some copies before we realized what it was. We looked at it, because it’s been called ‘mommy porn’ and ‘soft porn.’ We don’t collect porn.”

The “Fifty Shades” trilogy has sold more than 3 million copies in all formats. Local bookstores report brisk sales of the first book, a hit with women of all ages, and the Volusia County Public Library system had 13 copies as of Thursday. The Orange County Library System doesn’t stock it.

Trashed by many critics speaking to its literary quality, “Fifty Shades of Grey” is explicitly sexual in its description of the relationship between heroine Anastasia Steele, an innocent recent college graduate, and Christian Grey, a 27-year-old billionaire businessman with domineering and sadistic tendencies.

While the naughty novel doesn’t check out with local library officials, a quick look at the Brevard system’s online catalogue reveals a solid stash of some of the most erotic and enduring literature.

Copies of “The Complete Kama Sutra” are available through the Cocoa Beach, Mims/Scottsmoor, Palm Bay and Titusville branches. Also up for grabs countywide: “Fanny Hill,” “Lady Chatterley’s Lover,” “Fear of Flying,” “Tropic of Cancer” and “Lolita.”

So what makes “Fifty Shades of Grey” different?

“I think because those other books were written years ago and became classics because of the quality of the writing,” Schweinsberg said. “This is not a classic.”...